NEWS
ALLIANCE HEALTHCARE MILESTONE FOR CANCER RESEARCH
Alliance Healthcare has raised and donated an incredible £500,000 for the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Cancer Research Fund, over the last four years.
Walgreens Boots Alliance has been working in partnership with the EORTC Cancer Research Fund to support the creation of the first pan- European Biobank for colorectal cancer and as at financial year end 2015* has raised over £3 million.
The project, called SPECTAcolor** - ‘Screening Patients for Efficient Clinical Trial Access' - is a unique initiative that helps match colorectal cancer patients with the best available treatment based on the genetic make-up of their tumour.
Alliance Healthcare employees have raised money for the charity through a range of activities, including nationwide raffles, family fun days at its 12 Service Centres, summer BBQs at Head Office, Christmas-themed competitions and a popular staff fishing competition at Monk Lake, Kent.
Not stopping there, Alliance Healthcare employees also tested their physical endurance with multiple sporting achievements. Notable highlights include: the Paris and London Marathons, the Great North Run, Windsor Triathlon and the Three Peak Challenge which involves climbing Ben Nevis, Scarfell Pike and Snowdon, all within 24 hours.
Chair of Translational Cancer Genomics Queen's University Belfast and EORTC Ambassador, Professor Mark Lawler, said, "This is a truly outstanding achievement that is making a significant difference for cancer patients. Having attended the Annual National Championship for the last three years, I can personally say that the dedication of the Alliance Healthcare colleagues from all across the country in raising funds for cancer research is truly inspiring. We are fighting against a common enemy – cancer - and this level of funding of a unique research initiative will save peoples' lives."
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pharmacyinfocus.co.uk
The Government should make better use of community pharmacies if it wants to improve hospital productivity, Pharmacy Voice has said. In particular, community pharmacies should be involved in discharge medication supply.
Pharmacy voice, the organisation representing pharmacy owner groups, was responding to the independent report on Productivity in NHS Hospitals, published last month. This report contains the findings and recommendations of the review on efficiency in hospitals led by Lord Carter of Coles.
Among the findings were: • a “significant variation of (2.5-71%) in the rates of prescribing pharmacists as a proportion of total hospital pharmacists.”, impacting on medicines optimisation; • an “astonishing variety in the numbers of products and suppliers used across and within trusts” as a sample of 22 trusts were found to have 30,000 suppliers, 20,000 different product brands, over 400,000 manufacturer products codes and more than 7,000 people able to place orders; • “immaturity” of trusts’ use of such technology such as e-Prescribing and basic electronic catalogues for procurement.
“We also learnt that some trusts have outsourced out-patient dispensing to community pharmacy providers. This is cost effective and frees up clinical pharmacy staff to focus on clinical services,” said the report.
“Trusts that have not currently outsourced their outpatient dispensing services should ensure their HPTP [Hospital Pharmacy Transformation Programme] plans include a review of these services and have a plan in place for improving productivity and efficiency, including consideration of alternative supply routes, such as homecare providers or community pharmacies.”
Commenting on the report, Pharmacy voice Chief Executive Rob Darracott said, “This report once again identifies the potential of community pharmacy to improve efficiency across the NHS, while simultaneously improving the patient experience. I completely agree with these conclusions. Unfortunately, this suggested expansion of our role arrives while the sector is still working through the ramifications of the proposed cuts to its NHS funding on maintaining existing services.
“This report is full of good ideas and sends an unambiguous message to Government about the potential of community pharmacy. With the various pressures facing the NHS, now
is the time to realise that potential and back community pharmacy – not cut its funding.”
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said that the Government will act upon all the recommendations in the Carter Report, and that he has asked lord Carter to report back on progress on implementation by next spring.
Representing pharmaceutical wholesalers, the Healthcare Distribution Association has welcomed Lord Carter’s report “as it recognises the important role that the supply chain must play in helping secondary care save £5billion a year by 2020,” it said. “If the NHS is to make such levels of savings by 2020 it is imperative that it makes the most of the existing robust healthcare distribution sector that stands ready to translate the efficiencies seen in the primary care pharmacy sector.”
Martin Sawer, the HDA’s Executive Director, said the HDA is working closely with the Department of Health to utilise the expertise of its members for the benefit of NHS secondary care. “More efficient procurement through increased collaboration with healthcare distributors can unlock significant savings that can be transferred to the front line of care – ultimately benefiting patients.”
Funding for mental trauma service
Initial funding for a new mental trauma service for Northern Ireland has been announced at the opening of the mental health summit hosted by Action Mental Health.
The intention is that the final model of this service will be based on the internationally-recognised Stepped Care approach, with low-level interventions provided by voluntary and community organisations, integrated with more intensive interventions by qualified professionals within the HSC under the auspices of
a new Regional Specialist Service. To assist in getting this off the ground £175,000 of funding for early set-up cost has been invested by the Department of Health. Mental Health funding here has been increased to £247million annually and Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK to see an increase in spending by trusts on mental health in the last two years, with 1% additional last year, and 2.6% more this year.
The key aims in establishing the service are: • To comprehensively address the
legacy of the Troubles and address unmet mental health needs; • To improve individual, family and community experiences of mental health trauma care; • To improve the psychological and social outcomes for individuals, their families and communities who have been traumatised as a result of the Troubles.
The service will involve leading edge, evidence-based treatments in line with NICE guidelines, with a focus on recovery.
Make better use of pharmacy in hospitals Rob Darracot, Pharmacy Voice
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